It would be possible to do a whole course just on religion in Star Trek (including, particularly in the original series, the lack of religion in places where we’ve come to expect it). In addition to encounters with many beings that might be considered “gods,” Star Trek also tackles many difficult issues, such as the question whether Commander Data is a person, or whether, if we let gays marry now, by the 24th century we’ll have to allow Klingons and... Read more

If Dollhouse is any indication of what having a definite end in sight does to science fiction storytelling on TV, then we’re going to be satisfied not only with Dollhouse but also with Lost. Tonight we had longstanding mysteries solved, and yet at the same time unexpected twists and turns to keep us enthralled. If you’ve never watched the show, I definitely recommend giving it a try. If there is one thing Dollhouse touches on that my religion and science... Read more

Jim West is apparently back (thanks to Loren Rosson for drawing attention to this fulfillment of prophecy) – although having witnessed the appearance of +Wrong, I was half expecting a new blog called “Dr. Jim East” to materialize and offer simulacra and simulations of classic westian cat-hating Zwingli-loving sarcasm.  I wanted to find a photo of Jim West to accompany this post, but take a look what your result is if you search for keywords like “Jim West bibliobloggers.” And you definitely don’t... Read more

I’ve spent the morning thus far trying to finalize my syllabus for Religion and Science Fiction. I’m now going to share form it is currently in, in the hope that some readers with time and inclination may provide some feedback. If you see anything obvious that ought to be explicitly mentioned but isn’t, or relevant readings that are not included but might deserve to be, please do let me know. In the course I’m planning on having students post short writes... Read more

I first spotted the news about the decipherment of a 10th-century BC inscription, which turned out to be in Hebrew, on Scientific Blogging about 4 hours ago. Now I see the news has reached the biblioblogosphere. James Tabor relates the find to debates between minimalists and others. Bob Cargill rightly counters some of the hype (both actual and potential). Toshunka and Polycarp also mention the story. This fragmentary inscription at best shows that a form of Hebrew, and certain key... Read more

I spent quite a bit of today (when I wasn’t shoveling snow) working on finalizing the syllabus for my religion and science fiction course. The main thing that had to be done was filling in some of the readings (and making some tough choices about what, as interesting as it might be, will have to be omitted). As it happens, just today IO9 posted links to two sites that discuss the subject – but from radically different viewpoints. The first,... Read more

I watched The Human Spark on PBS last night, a show about human evolution and what makes us distinctive, hosted by Alan Alda. I think even those who generally keep up to date on the natural sciences will find it interesting and informative. One thought that struck me as I watched was the contrast between the scientists, archaeologists, anthropologists and others who were working hard to find, date, and interpret the evidence we have, and the anti-evolution crowd (not mentioned in the... Read more

Rocky Carvel posted today about the tension between losing the Biblical moorings of conservative Christianity and a vibrant and powerful experience of Christianity. I can really relate to his post: in my case, I think that having had a life-transforming experience actually gave me the courage to engage in critical thinking about what I believe and in critical study of the Bible. The Bible had been important to my faith, but it was not ultimately what it was about, and had not... Read more

Last semester, my department chair discovered that there is an endowed chair at Butler University which has been unfilled for some 60 years, the Clarence Goodwin Chair of New Testament Language and Literature. The chair was last held by its first and (to my knowledge) only occupant, Bruce Kershner. Since then, it has been unfilled – until today, when I received official announcement that I am going to be appointed to this position! I’m grateful to the late Clarence Goodwin whose generosity created the... Read more

There are a number of volumes in the series Popular Culture and Philosophy (from Open Court – take a look at some of the forthcoming titles!) and the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture series from which I’ll be using chapters as readings this semester. But the thing I love most about both these series is the subtitles of the books, many of which are brilliant and hilarious. Here are a few examples: The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the... Read more